


Phone Call

by Kerguelen (Slashmommy)



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Closeted, M/M, Missing Scene, Older Man/Younger Man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-07
Updated: 2013-07-07
Packaged: 2017-12-18 01:35:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/874186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slashmommy/pseuds/Kerguelen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Originally published on the West Wing Slash Archive while the series aired.  It is a missing scene from What Kind of Day Has It Been</p>
            </blockquote>





	Phone Call

"John Hoynes is on the line."

"Thank you, Margaret," Leo said as he picked up the phone.

"John. I was hoping I'd hear from you."

"I figured you'd be waiting for my call."

"I wouldn't go that far."

"That's bull and you know it," Hoynes said with a chuckle. "I went jogging with Josh Lyman today." 

"And?"

"And the president will have my support."

"Good. You know how much I hate having to be the one to try and convince you to work with us on anything."

"I know. Leo --"

"What?"

"Josh is a good guy."

"I know that."

"He -- he said something and, I didn't think much of it at the time, --"

"But?"

"He said something that, well, if he says it to the wrong person, could be taken badly. I thought you'd want to know."

"What did he say?"

"He said that if we manage to get that Nighthawk pilot back alive, that Bartlett will go up another ten points."

"HE WHAT?!"

"Leo --"

"You better be yanking my chain, John, because --"

"Leo, calm down. I'm sure he didn't mean to -- He was focused on making his case, on winning me over. He wasn't thinking about how you or anyone else would take a comment like that."

"I don't care what he was thinking. What kind of --"

"He's young. It isn't something he understands. The only U.S. military action he remembers clearly are things like the Gulf and the invasion of Granada."

"And you do?"

"I may not have served during Viet Nam, but I'm old enough to remember it. And I have a pretty good idea of what the family and loved ones of that pilot are going through."

"Oh?"

"You made it back and safe, and I didn't even know you back then, but every time I see those scars on your back I can't help but think about how you could have been killed before I'd even met you."

"John," Leo said with a sigh.

"I know. Office phone line. Will I see you tonight?"

"We've got the thing tonight. It depends on how that goes."

"Okay. Are you going to talk to Josh?"

"Oh yeah."

"Are you going to be calm and handle this rationally?"

"Maybe. Yeah, probably," Leo said with a sigh. "I'll wait for a bit and then call him in here. Give myself a chance to figure out how to handle it."

"Good. He really is a good guy, Leo."

"I know. You said."

"I could've won the primary if I'd listened to him."

"So you keep saying."

"You know I don't care how late it is when you finally finish up," John said, making Leo chuckle.

"I'll see what I can do."

"I better let you go."

"Yeah, you probably should."

"If I don't see you later, call me. You can let me know how it goes."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Okay."

"John?"

"Yeah, Leo?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For understanding, for calling, I dunno."

"You probably looked good in uniform. You would've even had hair," John said chuckling. "Got any pictures?"

"One or two."

"You'll have to show me some time."

"I really do have work to do," Leo said with a sigh.

"I know. I'll talk to you later."

"I'll see you," Leo said before hanging up the phone. For a minute he just sat there at his desk, staring at his phone with a silly little half grin on his face, before giving himself a mental shake.

"Margaret!"

"Yes?"

"When I get some free time later, get Josh in here."

"Do you want me to get him now?"

"No, later's fine. Just sometime today."


End file.
